Two days later.
Most of the past few weeks and months kept me super busy with work and less time with Hugo. I knew he was busy with Joaquin, while I was held up handling meetings. The day was going by slowly, and I was headed to lunch with Sofia. We’d just left a final advance screening of the movie she’d done with Shamar. Plus, the girls wanted to catch up, so we said it would be perfect to spend time together and see how the families were doing. I laughed as soon as we walked into Demot’s and saw Janice holding a champagne glass in the air, swiveling her hips.
“Please tell me what the occasion is.” Sofia stood next to her and planted her hand on her hip.
“Sofia! Finally, you got here.” Janice gulped the champagne down.
“What’s the champagne for?”
“I’m not pregnant!” Janice announced, and my mouth dropped. Sabrina and Liz laughed at my expression.
“Cassidy, right?” Sabrina waved at me, and I waved back.
“Yes.”
“She’s my manager now,” Sofia said.
“The glow up is nice,” Janice replied.
“She’s had at least three glasses,” Liz complained, taking the bottle out of her hands.
“Hello, ladies. Can I get you anything?” the waitress asked.
“Can I get a glass of water?” I asked.
“You guys don't understand.” Janice grabbed a piece of bread.
“Joaquin asked me about another baby,” Sofia brought up.
“Hugo and I haven’t talked about kids yet.”
All eyes looked at me.
“Give it time,” all the girls said at the same moment.
“Did Joaquin tell you my husband got shot?” Janice mentioned.
“I thought it was a graze,” Sabrina responded and took a sip of her champagne.
“Graze, yeah, right. He thought I didn't have the wound,” Janice grumbled.
“I am sorry it got that far.” Sofia put her purse on the back of her chair.
“No apology needed; we’ve been in just as many situations,” Sabrina explained.
“Hearing your stories, I'm still surprised I want to marry Hugo.”
“We can’t tell you not to; we’d be hypocrites.” Janice clicked the knife against her glass.
“The situation was crazy, and for Shamar to get in the crossfire…” Sofia closed her eyes and reminisced about Texas.
“We’ve lost a lot of good people throughout the years,” Liz said.
“I'm taking a break from filming and recording,” Sofia blurted out.
“How does Joaquin feel about that?” Janice questioned.
“He was surprised but understands.”
“You and Hugo.” Sabrina pointed at me.
“Unexpected, but I'm happy.”
“To be a wife of a soldier takes a lot of strength,” Liz said. The waitress came back out and placed our glasses of water down.
“Can we get the pizza and salad?” Sofia ordered.
“Coming right up.” The waitress picked up our menus and went back to the kitchen.
“What about going out to the club and celebrating?” Janice suggested.
“The guys won’t agree to that,” Sofia said.
“Who says they have to know?” Janice winked and sipped on the wine.
“I’m down for a night out.”
“If you can handle Hugo’s lifestyle, you're fine with us,” Sabrina toasted, and I smiled.
“We call ourselves mommy mafia,” Janice teased and chortled.
“A full-on text message group,” Sofia explained.
“I’m ready for the group chat, but hopefully I can keep my career,” I said.
“Just remember what they do keeps them in a headspace you sometimes can’t reach,” Sabrina explained.
“What do you mean?”
“She means blowjobs go a long way,” Janice replied, and I choked on my water.
“She’s telling the truth,” Liz responded and cut into her tuna casserole.
“Sofia said you girls were funny.”
“Welcome to the crew, Cassidy.” Sofia raised a glass, and I joined in as we talked about the kids and going out tonight without the men.
Janice shifted her hips in the VIP section of Antonio’s club as the DJs played all the old school music from Donna Summer to current Mariah Carey. I laughed when she climbed on top of the table and pretended to be the singer. The guys thought we were having a girls’ night in at Sabrina’s, and we’d snuck out to the club. I told Hugo I would meet him tomorrow for breakfast, but he insisted on picking me up, so I needed to make sure I was back at her place before the morning.
“Come on, Cassidy!” Janice extended a hand for me to get on top of the table.
“I think you’re doing fine without me.” I chuckled and watched her flip me off.
“How are your parents?” I asked Sofia.
“Good, watching the kids. I told them we came out tonight.”
“You don’t think they’ll tell the guys?”
“We’re surrounded by Antonio’s people.”
“You guys are boring. Get up and dance,” Janice complained.
“How many drinks have you had?”
“Not enough. You guys are bringing my high down.” Janice climbed off the table and sat on the couch.
“I guess you thought sneaking out was okay.” Hugo stood with Carlo, Antonio, and Joaquin.
“Uhm.”
“Baby!” Janice jumped up and held her arms out for Carlo.
All the girls looked at Janice and rolled our eyes.
“I thought you were in charge, Janice?” Sofia questioned.
“She runs her mouth,” Carlo teased and grabbed her waist.
“Excuse you, don’t give me too much now. That other arm can get a graze too,” Janice huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
I giggled at the two of them.
“None of you told us you’d be here.” Antonio walked over to Sabrina and lifted her chin.
“I’m sorry, baby.” Sabrina softened and kissed me on the lips.
“I thought the mommy mafia was hard core,” I whispered in Sofia’s ear.
“They talk a good game,” Carlo said.
“Sweetheart…” Joaquin started to approach Sofia.
Janice stepped in front of him, tilting her head to the left.
“The next time you put my husband in the middle of a shootout, think twice,” Janice said.
Joaquin held a smirk. “I do apologize, Janice,” he said.
“You might be able to get that pretty smile over on Sofia, but I don’t play,” Janice fussed.
Joaquin looked back at Carlo, and he held his hands up in surrender.
“He has nothing to do with me and you right now.” Janice poked him in the chest.
“Janice, you've gotten Sabrina in a lot of mess,” Antonio complained.
“Sabrina, remind your husband it’s because of me you two even met,” Janice spat.
I walked over to Hugo and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.
“I missed you,” I said.
“You want to go back to my place?” Hugo wrapped his hands around my waist.
“Love to.”
“Cassidy! Cassidy!” Janice yelled my name.
“Huh.”
“You give in too quickly, girl.”
I chortled and nodded my head.
“I promise to work on that.” I winked and turned to grab his hand. We walked out of the club with a few guards beside us. He held the door of his car open, and I slid in and went to open the driver’s side and buckled my seatbelt.
“I love you,” Hugo said.
“I love you more.”
He held my hand up with my engagement ring, and I smiled, leaned over the seat, and grabbed his chin to tongue him down.
“Come on, hurry to your place.” I kissed him again.